NationStates Jolt Archive


loose style FT (thoughts)

The Free Priesthood
02-02-2009, 16:28
First of all, I don't mean to tell anyone how and how not to play. Actually, I do mean to tell you how to behave, but only inside threads that I create. You're of course free to use the same guidelines for your own threads.

In other words, I'm not interested in reading "GTFO n00b" comments below this post ;) . Other types of comments, such as suggestions for improvements or invitations to cooperate, are very welcome.

My guidelines are:

1) No rules. Well, hardly any rules. I like FT because it allows me to create any kind of strange situation I can dream up, I could do without nonsense like "your population is too small/big for that".

2) Limited godmodding. You could argue this is part of point (1). Bringing a huge load of weapons that you're technically capable of having, enough to wipe out everyone else in the thread in seconds, is technically not godmodding, but it is bad style. On the other hand, having something that is indestructible that doesn't give you any serious tactical advantage IS godmodding, but it isn't bad style. Feel free to bring indestructible objects and characters into threads I create.

The other kind of godmodding, telling others what happens to their stuff, is bad style. If you're using strange weapons, it is impossible to avoid telling what the weapon is supposed to do, in such cases the targeted player can say it didn't happen if they have a reasonable explanation why.

Finally, the "you missed! HAHA" kind of godmodding is completely unacceptable. You're allowed to have shields/armor, or to have super-fast regeneration. You can limit your damage, there's no need to refuse getting wounded if you're able to wound others.

3) War without anything else to it than becoming the owner of more planets is boring. Try to create interesting situations. Things can even get interesting without any fighting at all.

4) Redshirts. If you plan to create a situation in which characters of other players are likely to die, please request that they use redshirts. Some people put significant effort in developing interesting characters, killing those without warning will just lead to godmodding or you being ignored. No fun.

Characters without names can be assumed to be redshirts unless their owner says they aren't (BEFORE someone else tries to kill them). Characters with names can be marked as being redshirts by their owner.

Characters that pee on the third rail always are redshirts, no matter what their owner says.

5) Try to make sense. Violating the laws of physics as they are known in our time is fine, but at least have some explanation of the principles behind your tech.

"This box can instantly transport me to any place in the universe": bad style.

"This box folds the supporting dimensions of space to teleport me up to a few lightyears away": complete nonsense, but believable, and therefore good style and permitted.

Knowing a thing or two about real world technology and maybe also philosophy or even metaphysics helps a lot.
Putting it differently, please try to avoid breaking the suspension of disbelief of other players and possible readers.

6) Try to avoid joining threads that you will leave quietly. Waiting for others who never show up again is extremely annoying. If the thread disappoints you or RL matters force you to stop playing, please leave an OOC message so everyone else can continue having fun.

In summary, don't be an ***hat, and don't be a lazy bore. All other rules just get in the way, and you're permitted to ignore them in threads I create.
Otagia
02-02-2009, 16:40
Putting it differently, please try to avoid breaking the suspension of disbelief of other players and possible readers.
On the subject of SoD and explaining your tech, how exactly is "A God Did It" not doing exactly that?
The Free Priesthood
02-02-2009, 16:52
"A god did it" is fine (note I allow indestructible characters), as long as you have a plausible explanation for why a god would want to do "it". Your god did it for random amusement? Fine, but then do put some effort in designing the character of that god so we can believe that god likes randomness.
Rymeria
02-02-2009, 16:57
OOC: To a certain extent, FT RP forces its practicioner to suspend disbelief moreso than other forms of RP. According to RL science, there's no practical way to travel faster than the speed of light. In RL technology, we can't get anywhere close to the speed of light.

Having said that, many of the rules you mentioned are simply common sense. Players in MT or PT or PMT are supposed to respect rules imposed by the creators of certain characters. While RPing as Sarzonia, I nearly ignored an entire RP because one player aimed a weapon and shot my MOST central character without my consent.

Another player salvaged that RP for the moment by having HIS character take the impact of the weapon, but it very nearly turned ugly at that moment. Things later turned ugly in that RP and I ended up ignoring it and two of the people involved in it. And yes, I still ignore the players and have no intentions of changing that.

Dictating what happens to another player's central characters is bad form in RP, period.
The Free Priesthood
02-02-2009, 17:06
many of the rules you mentioned are simply common sense.

That's the whole point. No rules beyond what common sense tells us is needed to avoid annoying situations

While RPing as Sarzonia, I nearly ignored an entire RP because one player aimed a weapon and shot my MOST central character without my consent.

I recently did a near-godmod for exactly the same reason. This and an argument about a god character I brought into a thread a while ago were my main sources of inspiration for the above description of my style of FT RP.
Free United States
02-02-2009, 17:10
ooc: Priesthood, please see my visitor message, thank you.
Otagia
02-02-2009, 17:14
This and an argument about a god character I brought into a thread a while ago were my main sources of inspiration for the above description of my style of FT RP.

Mostly over the fact that having an untouchable character that could change reality at a whim actually did give you a significant advantage in said thread, given that it involved rather delicate negotiations with an ubership that was essentially deciding whether or not to eat everyone involved. :rolleyes:

Rymeria: An excellent point, but I'd argue that it's the responsibility of both parties to make sure it goes smoothly. Tell your threadmates that your character is integral to your plot, and that you don't want him killed. If you don't and he does something stupid, it shouldn't be a surprise that he catches a bullet or ten.
The Free Priesthood
02-02-2009, 17:27
FUS: replied, and create your own OOC thread ;)

Otalgia: Gods as played by me do not have the ability to change reality at a whim. They do have the ability to make those who worship them do things that are physically possible but emotionally impossible, eg walking around after having been shot at, until loss of blood stops the mortal character from doing that. And yes, gods are indestructible, unless you destroy the entire universe, then they will maybe go with it - or not, but who cares at that point.
Free United States
02-02-2009, 17:42
ooc: yeah, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you got my message.

OT, I've never really delved into FT scenarios. The one time I did, it ended up as just me and Kewen (idk if he's still around) and that got boring after a while. In other threads, I've had to deal with the 'WTF' scenario, where someone intro's something or does something that makes no sense...it completely self-destructed my vampire RP [sob].
Tenuria
02-02-2009, 20:22
In FT RP I go by consensus. If a majority of the people in the thread agree that my use of some technology or tactic is legitimate, then I use it. For instance, a lot of Damalgian warfare and history depends upon FTL-capable missiles and drones. What's the range of these missiles and drones? Answer: whatever the majority of participants think (or, more cynically, whatever I think I can get away with without inviting complaining). In addition, certain situations are acceptable in some kinds of roleplay more than others. For instance, in a war RP it's unlikely that anyone would let me blow up their home star system with a single warship, because of complaints about how much power would be required to do so, and about how they'd lose all seven billion of their people, et cetera, et cetera. But as the background for a character or diplomatic RP, it's fine.

There are different styles of RP around here. I often use the "enforced method acting" style, in which I present (ICly) only the information that is directly available to the other participant; especially when there is little character RP going on. You could argue that this is godmoding of a sort, because I'm trying to dictate what the other person's perceptions are, or leaving out important pieces of information about how X technology works or what Y's Xanatos Gambit's real objective is.

Finally, about character deaths.... I'll generally work those out with the killee beforehand, if it's a well-developed character. However, I greatly support killing off developed characters, and think people should do it more often. This includes me. (I've barely killed off any named characters in my RPs.... hmmm..... :twisted: )
[NS]Wulfhelm
02-02-2009, 20:41
I was with you until this part,


Characters that pee on the third rail always are redshirts, no matter what their owner says.


...pee? third rail?
Ustio North
02-02-2009, 20:50
Wulfhelm;14468982']I was with you until this part,



...pee? third rail?

I would think you're not alone on that bit.

Also, Tenuria has a point. There should be a consensus on technology, which is why (in comparison to my PMT nation), my FT nation's military tech is currently quite primitive and non-ridiculous in places. I currently don't have any fighters or scout ships, bar the ships I normally use for scouting, and some of my weapons still use bullets, and only a few laser/plasma weapons exist for use by regular troops. The Brotherhood sort of hog all that sort of technology, and they barely get into battles anymore.



2) Limited godmodding. You could argue this is part of point (1). Bringing a huge load of weapons that you're technically capable of having, enough to wipe out everyone else in the thread in seconds, is technically not godmodding, but it is bad style. On the other hand, having something that is indestructible that doesn't give you any serious tactical advantage IS godmodding, but it isn't bad style. Feel free to bring indestructible objects and characters into threads I create.

The other kind of godmodding, telling others what happens to their stuff, is bad style. If you're using strange weapons, it is impossible to avoid telling what the weapon is supposed to do, in such cases the targeted player can say it didn't happen if they have a reasonable explanation why.

Finally, the "you missed! HAHA" kind of godmodding is completely unacceptable. You're allowed to have shields/armor, or to have super-fast regeneration. You can limit your damage, there's no need to refuse getting wounded if you're able to wound others.


Hmm, so having a proportion of my population evolve powers such as telekinesis, telepathy, invisibility, pyro/cryokinesis or rapid cellular regeneration isn't godmodding?
Greywatch
02-02-2009, 20:58
The third rail is the electircal rail that's used to power trains. Essentially a high-voltage power conduit. Touching said rail will result in electrocution and, consequently, death. Peeing on the third rail is a phrase meaning to invite *certain* death upon yourself.
Thrashia
02-02-2009, 21:13
Sounds interesting to me, but what exactly is your point in coming up with these rules? Have you developed a scenario or rp-starter idea to compliment these fine sets of rules or are you simply trying to have us come to a consensus on rules that many either already know of and follow?
The Free Priesthood
02-02-2009, 21:44
Hmm, so having a proportion of my population evolve powers such as telekinesis, telepathy, invisibility, pyro/cryokinesis or rapid cellular regeneration isn't godmodding?


Depending on whose definitions you use, it might be. My opinion on that is "I don't care if you godmod, as long as you don't grant yourself insanely huge advantages." That neatly avoids all discussions about what is and is not godmodding. BTW I have one telepathic, fast regenerating character who can make herself invisible, and many with the last two attributes. I don't think it's godmodding, but I bet you can find at least one person who thinks it is.

@Thrashia:

I start RPs every once in a while, and this thread will be linked to from new ones I start. These rules are what I consider sane and common sense, but I've noticed many people have different opinions about what is fair, which can lead to annoying conflicts when trying to RP with them.

I might also have posted as a reply to my own factbook, but this way I hope to get some attention for my permissive style, maybe I can find some other players with similar opinions. There's no point in obeying rules when you know everyone participating in a thread doesn't want said rules, right?
Solar Communes
02-02-2009, 22:57
Feel free to bring indestructible objects and characters into threads I create.

So, may I bring a self-propelled, self-replicating Dyson Sphere developed in 50,000,105 AD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIRGOHI21), which is made of dark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Matter) and Exotic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotic_matter) and can generate stable standard-sized black holes to exterminate aliens and eat entire solar systems which are useless for humans on its way?
Chronosia
03-02-2009, 00:05
So, may I bring a self-propelled, self-replicating Dyson Sphere developed in 50,000,105 AD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIRGOHI21), which is made of dark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Matter) and Exotic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotic_matter) and can generate stable standard-sized black holes to exterminate aliens and eat entire solar systems which are useless for humans on its way?

SC: Are you trying to arouse me?

TFP: There are guidelines and rules which have emerged to govern RP, most of them based around common sense, especially in FT. In this iteration of RP, NS is your functional baseline guide. You can't tool around with hypertech fleets and insane amounts of materiel, which is why we use population as a loose guide.

People who've been here a long time have had time to develop their ideas and their settings, as well as to get bigger. They've earned the right to act as they do, and most do so with a degree of talent and skill. Not to say that you lack this, that's a matter for alternate iterations, but quite simply this seems more or less to be a subversion of conventional NS canon simply because very few accept certain unfeasible aspects of your setting.

It's a nice idea, but it's far too loose and far too dependant upon your personal viewpoints. In freeform RP nothing is unkillable or unbeatable, and things that are such as Gods are quite removed from the state of play. I'm amused to see how far this 'idea' carries on though, and so am content to watch, and chuckle.
Kanuckistan
03-02-2009, 06:35
While RPing as Sarzonia, I nearly ignored an entire RP because one player aimed a weapon and shot my MOST central character without my consent.


Why did he do it?

Because frankly, if you don't want to risk the death or destruction of an asset, you shouldn't put it in a position of danger unless you've cleared it's survival with the other RPer(s), especially if the character you're not willing to lose is, for example, sitting on your flagship directing his forces against me, or sitting across the room boasting of how he likes to rape babies when he's not busy committing genocide. If you make them a legitimate target, don't go crying foul when people try and kill them.

On the other hand, if the other guy pulled a gun during a peaceful conference because he didn't like your guy's hair, you've got a pretty good reason to go. :WTF:


Still, if you put a character you don't want to risk into any RP, it's a good idea to say so when your guy shows up, because unexpected things happen, and you can't expect everyone to automatically know who you are and are not willing to risk if things hit the fan. This is especially true if someone is planning a plot twist or something otherwise unexpected - even if things aren't supposed to get violent, roleplayers are inherently unpredictable.


Then you get things like, "You can't kill my Hero Character without a major sacrifice," when I've managed to completely outmaneuver the other guy and have an armoured spec-op standing six feet away from said 'Hero', pointing nuclear weapons at his head. :D
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 09:25
So, may I bring a self-propelled, self-replicating Dyson Sphere developed in 50,000,105 AD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIRGOHI21), which is made of dark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Matter) and Exotic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotic_matter) and can generate stable standard-sized black holes to exterminate aliens and eat entire solar systems which are useless for humans on its way?

Um...

Bringing a huge load of weapons that you're technically capable of having, enough to wipe out everyone else in the thread in seconds, is technically not godmodding, but it is bad style. On the other hand, having something that is indestructible that doesn't give you any serious tactical advantage IS godmodding, but it isn't bad style.

How does the thing you described not give you a serious tactical advantage?
DaWoad
03-02-2009, 11:39
OOC: To a certain extent, FT RP forces its practicioner to suspend disbelief moreso than other forms of RP. According to RL science, there's no practical way to travel faster than the speed of light. In RL technology, we can't get anywhere close to the speed of light.

Having said that, many of the rules you mentioned are simply common sense. Players in MT or PT or PMT are supposed to respect rules imposed by the creators of certain characters. While RPing as Sarzonia, I nearly ignored an entire RP because one player aimed a weapon and shot my MOST central character without my consent.

Another player salvaged that RP for the moment by having HIS character take the impact of the weapon, but it very nearly turned ugly at that moment. Things later turned ugly in that RP and I ended up ignoring it and two of the people involved in it. And yes, I still ignore the players and have no intentions of changing that.

Dictating what happens to another player's central characters is bad form in RP, period.
Technically you can go faster than light . . .you just can't go at light SPEED without turning into pure energy . . . .which will put a crimp in Anyone's day. But this looks cool lol I'd be interested
DaWoad
03-02-2009, 11:42
Um...



How does the thing you described not give you a serious tactical advantage?

totally indestructible! with no offensive weapons . . .sorry boss


^
l
l
l
This
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 11:59
Um, what? Throwing black holes at people isn't the same thing as using a weapon?
Chronosia
03-02-2009, 12:18
Um, what? Throwing black holes at people isn't the same thing as using a weapon?

The Magog would argue different. So would the Culture, a micro-singularity was one of the ways suggested to deal with Earth. Though that was sort of by a crazy person.

Singularities are a perfectly valid form of FT weaponry. No more ridiculous than a walking diety, after all :)
Void Templar
03-02-2009, 12:20
So, may I bring a self-propelled, self-replicating Dyson Sphere developed in 50,000,105 AD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIRGOHI21), which is made of dark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Matter) and Exotic matter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotic_matter) and can generate stable standard-sized black holes to exterminate aliens and eat entire solar systems which are useless for humans on its way?

I thought you had to build Dyson Spheres around stars. If you had a portable, I don't see that going well, a la the Death Star, only with moar supernova. Of course, since it's indestructible...
Chronosia
03-02-2009, 12:22
I thought you had to build Dyson Spheres around stars. If you had a portable, I don't see that going well, a la the Death Star, only with moar supernova.

Least there isn't a star and an insane Star God inside. That's the realm of 40k madcap. Like ship weapons that fire Hell. I love the Warp... ^^
Kewen
03-02-2009, 12:30
Fire hell? thats weak.

>.> Guns that fire shells that explode and cover the target in hell. thats another thing entirely.

that and firing a snotling thorugh the warp is fun
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 14:26
Hell, could you come inside my office for a moment? I've evaluated your benefits to humanity, and, um, sorry to tell you this, you're fired.

(Couldn't resist. I'd say +1 for anyone who can guess my rl religion, but let's not get too far off-topic.)
Void Templar
03-02-2009, 14:27
Hell, could you come inside my office for a moment? I've evaluated your benefits to humanity, and, um, sorry to tell you this, you're fired.

(Couldn't resist. I'd say +1 for anyone who can guess my rl religion, but let's not get too far off-topic.)

Scientology? :D
Imperial isa
03-02-2009, 14:35
Scientology? :D

oh that just evil
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 14:41
Scientology? :D

HOW COULD YOU TELL???!!!!111!!!eleventyone111!!!??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

(No.)
Void Templar
03-02-2009, 15:16
HOW COULD YOU TELL???!!!!111!!!eleventyone111!!!??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Well, think about it. This is FT. Someone has to be Xenu. Here's a picture (http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7351/xenu3bf9.jpg) of me from my Year Book from when I was at Alien College.
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 15:24
There also appears to be an invasion of macbooks. I'm not sure which is scarier.
Vescopa
03-02-2009, 15:28
There also appears to be an invasion of macbooks. I'm not sure which is scarier.

The MacBooks. Definitely...
Void Templar
03-02-2009, 15:38
There also appears to be an invasion of macbooks. I'm not sure which is scarier.

The body thetans prefer Macs. They used to use XP, but when Vista came out...
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 15:47
Ah, so that's what the X in XP means. Xenu. Now back to topic.
Void Templar
03-02-2009, 15:54
Ah, so that's what the X in XP means. Xenu. Now back to topic.

Xenu Prefered.
Okay, I'll stop now.
Chronosia
03-02-2009, 17:21
Fire hell? thats weak.

>.> Guns that fire shells that explode and cover the target in hell. thats another thing entirely.

that and firing a snotling thorugh the warp is fun

It truly is. The Shokk Attack Gun is the standard by which insanely fun weapons must be measured.

Speaking of topic. Points. I had some.
Central Facehuggeria
03-02-2009, 18:19
TFP: There are guidelines and rules which have emerged to govern RP, most of them based around common sense, especially in FT. In this iteration of RP, NS is your functional baseline guide. You can't tool around with hypertech fleets and insane amounts of materiel, which is why we use population as a loose guide.

That being said, hypertech fleets and insane amounts of material can work, so long as there are crippling disadvantages to weigh out those advantages. In the past iterations of Facehuggerland, these disadvantages were low military numbers and, in particular, a 'jack of all trades/master of none' philosophy that dominated the culture. When Facehuggerland collapsed into civil war, one side capitalized on this tendency and achieved military parity despite massively fewer resources because they focused on a more combined arms approach. The highly rigid and uninnovative Empire simply refused to abandon their traditions. But that's rather meaningless.

Now, Facehuggerland is arguably even less strategically flexible. While tactically they are far more specialized (a single battlegroup having ships specialized for defeating the most common threats), splitting a fleet is simply not done, for without support, modern Facehuggerian naval assets are at a terrible disadvantage. Therefore, I can have a strong military presence in only six places at any one time. And this includes systems I am garrisoning. Oh sure, I can bring overwhelming firepower to any one battlefield, but a more numerous navy could strategically outmaneuver me, despite the hypertech.

The Facehuggerian navy is somewhat like an air force in modern tech. It can ride in and massively pwn people in key battles, but there simply aren't enough of them to actually hold anything but the Facehuggerian homesystems.

^Thus, crippling disadvantage = low strategic flexibility for me. There's a few more disadvantages that aren't as readily obvious, which people have to discover on their own. Can't give away all my secrets, after all. :p

It helps that I'm a 11 billion+ nation too, and thus can appeal to age whenever someone says "lol, godmod!"

As for Gods... What did Futurama say? "Yeah, if I'm [God] doing my job right, you'll never know if I did anything at all."

That's a good philosophy. A god who actually directly does things (ie 'destroy attacking fleet X') while being uncounterable is godmoding in perhaps the most literal sense of the word. :p
Chronosia
03-02-2009, 18:26
I was talking more in the sense that not everyone can do so. Especially not nations just starting out. They can certainly be advanced, but they're unlikely to have the numbers or resources enough to be the equal of a larger nation of same or equivalent tech. :)

Always good to have your input CF. Good to see you're talking again :D
Otagia
03-02-2009, 18:31
That's a good philosophy. A god who actually directly does things (ie 'destroy attacking fleet X') while being uncounterable is godmoding in perhaps the most literal sense of the word.
Who says they have to destroy? Just fly up to a ship, go aboard, and start pressing buttons at random on the bridge. Or download the contents of the ship's computer. Or borrow the launch codes for someone's galaxy gun. Or one of a billion other seemingly harmless but completely, stupidly, OP things. Even if it can't blow anything up, if it's indestructible and interacts with the universe at large, it's godmoding.
Sarzonia
03-02-2009, 18:44
On the other hand, if the other guy pulled a gun during a peaceful conference because he didn't like your guy's hair, you've got a pretty good reason to go. :WTF:

It was during a peace conference in a war RP. The conference was arranged by a third RPer who insisted OOCly I send this particular character. I originally planned to send a lower level wonk to the conference and would have if the third RPer hadn't insisted I send my central character.

Plus, the people in that RP knew the etiquette of clearing with other players before killing central characters. That's why I went ape shit.
DaWoad
03-02-2009, 19:22
Hell, could you come inside my office for a moment? I've evaluated your benefits to humanity, and, um, sorry to tell you this, you're fired.

(Couldn't resist. I'd say +1 for anyone who can guess my rl religion, but let's not get too far off-topic.)

Judaism?
Central Facehuggeria
03-02-2009, 19:30
Who says they have to destroy? Just fly up to a ship, go aboard, and start pressing buttons at random on the bridge. Or download the contents of the ship's computer. Or borrow the launch codes for someone's galaxy gun. Or one of a billion other seemingly harmless but completely, stupidly, OP things. Even if it can't blow anything up, if it's indestructible and interacts with the universe at large, it's godmoding.

Yar, that was just an example. You are quite correct. Any direct action by an indestructible god amounts to godmoding. It's why I restrict my 'gods' to nothing but words during dreams or near-death experiences; it's basically a matter of "lol, you don't know if it's your god doing this, or if you're just going crazy!"

Of course, an invincible god(dess) is nothing more than a challenge to some people. As long as the thing feels and has anything resembling human emotions, you can torture it in many creative ways. Prometheus chained to a rock and being pecked apart by godly crows, for instance. As a god, he can't actually die, but he can certainly hurt. A more sublime idea would be to find what our deity cares for and take those away. If a god loved a mortal, seducing that mortal away from him would work. Or purging its village, defiling its churches and painting eight pointed stars everywhere.

I call the latter the "Chronosia: Fuck Yeah!" option. :p
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 20:01
Judaism?

That's a lot closer than Scientology. Judaism is even mentioned in some important document...

To stop people from listing every religion they can think of, let me give you two hints:

1) The remark about firing hell should make it extremely obvious.

2) The religion practiced in the FT version of TFP is a parody of my own - but twisted beyond recognition.

---


Any direct action by an indestructible god amounts to godmoding. It's why I restrict my 'gods' to nothing but words during dreams or near-death experiences; it's basically a matter of "lol, you don't know if it's your god doing this, or if you're just going crazy!"


*Nods* Unless everyone else brings gods too, the only acceptable type of indestructible god is one that can only talk to other characters and cannot modify anything in the physical universe except by asking someone else to do it. Unfortunately some people consider even that godmodding...
Otagia
03-02-2009, 20:24
*Nods* Unless everyone else brings gods too, the only acceptable type of indestructible god is one that can only talk to other characters and cannot modify anything in the physical universe except by asking someone else to do it. Unfortunately some people consider even that godmodding...
No. The only acceptable form of god is the one that doesn't interact in any substantial way with the universe at large, including communicating (excepting, of course, vague dreams and other things that have absolutely no effect on anything whatsoever). Otherwise, you just end up with an unkillable superspy who knows everything.
The Free Priesthood
03-02-2009, 20:33
No. The only acceptable form of god is the one that doesn't interact in any substantial way with the universe at large, including communicating (excepting, of course, vague dreams and other things that have absolutely no effect on anything whatsoever). Otherwise, you just end up with an unkillable superspy who knows everything.

That depends on the details. For example a god/dess who can't show up in the physical universe too far away from someone worships him/her is useless as a spy.
Vescopa
03-02-2009, 20:33
In my own personal, largely unimportant opinion, gods in roleplays represent the epitome of 'godmoding', in its most literal sense. Why everybody seems to think they belong in Future Tech instead of a more appropriate genre, such as a Mythological setting, boggles the mind. People can believe in them, even receive visions they believe to be from them, but like Otagia said - even if they do nothing but simply talk to their followers, you've still got an omnipotent spy who can't be killed wandering around the universe; a walking, talking personification of metagaming if you like.

/me puts two cents into the meter and leaves quietly...
Central Facehuggeria
03-02-2009, 23:25
a walking, talking personification of metagaming if you like.

/me puts two cents into the meter and leaves quietly...

I do like. That's a very good explanation. I like it a lot!

That depends on the details. For example a god/dess who can't show up in the physical universe too far away from someone worships him/her is useless as a spy.

Unless someone who worships them is nearby. Say, an actual spy. Or a simple tourist, depending on range.

What such a thing (ie invulnerable, manifest anywhere near worshippers deity) allows is basically a get espionage free card. A spy could be doing nothing remotely suspicious and, wham, you've got as much espionage info as your deity's memory can store.

You've got the next best thing to a perfect spy.

Also, invulnerable deities manifesting themselves anywhere tends to get really old really fast. Simply because they could physically manifest and even if they're no stronger than your normal citizen, you've got an invulnerable infantryman for as long as there's even one of your guys still alive.

It'd be like taking a coop FPS and giving one player permanent invincibility as long as at least one other member of the team has 1 HP.

So one guy could just hide in a corner while the deity tears through the opposition.

I know if I faced an invincible deity, I'd capture them and one of their worshippers, use applied psionics to break their mind (and thus make them forget their deity status and more importantly, the fact that they can deincarnate at any time), then give them both over to my Mekantan allies.

Mind, I don't think there's anything that's actually invulnerable. If it exists, it can be killed. Even if the process of killing it involves mindraping and nerve-stapling every last worshipper of that deity. Something I know some (ie Mekanta, Chron) would be apt to do.

Edit: Another strike against manifesting deities is the sheer lamery involved. As long as you have a single worshipper nearby, you can manifest in the enemy's territory.

So if the enemy happens to have a secret cultist as his janitor, suddenly, there's an invulnerable deity rampaging throughout their ship/military base!

It'd be like fighting Cthulhuverse cultists, except the unmentional abomination is actually invulernable rather than simply being difficult to kill.
Solar Communes
03-02-2009, 23:44
Crippling weakness: my self-propelled Dyson Sphere can't do FTL or jump to other universes, thus it must be built in another universe to be used offensively, and shipping dark matter between universes isn't a simple task. Thus it may take thousands of years to reach an enemy because it only travels slower-than-light... but once it does any sentient non-human can pray for whatever gods they worship.

However, they wouldn't waste a goddess by giving her to the Mekantans... evoking rules 34 and 36 on goddesses. Therefore, Anonymous has many uses for a fallen one, like recreating scat porn, or massaging their egos by stroking their chests and screaming "I did a goddess, bitches!"
Void Templar
04-02-2009, 01:15
Brisk'd

I have my diety manifest a few times, but he is essentially bound to a certain area of space and can only be summoned via mass human sacrifice, so it's only really useful if I get raped by Death Stars and lack some snub fighters.
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 00:40
I submit a Cosmic Horror for this looseverse. It is the Great and Pitiless Toothed Phallus, defiler of universes, consumer of galaxies, rapist of powers cosmic. It is from he that Gods cower in vain, lest their livers (and other parts)be rapeconsumed. To look upon he is to go mad, and to bask in his presence is to know violation upon ever cell.

Booya.

"A Goddess? A Goddess it says!?" A million tongues lapped and flapped in a thousand toothed maws. Eyes seemed to bubble forth from the undulating glory that was his godsflesh. It seemed to scrutinise the little power, to bore through her with its very being.
"You are no such thing! You are slutfood and slatternmeat! You are whorefodder, and I am the engine of your consummation!"
Vescopa
05-02-2009, 11:16
I submit a Cosmic Horror for this looseverse. It is the Great and Pitiless Toothed Phallus, defiler of universes, consumer of galaxies, rapist of powers cosmic. It is from he that Gods cower in vain, lest their livers (and other parts)be rapeconsumed. To look upon he is to go mad, and to bask in his presence is to know violation upon ever cell.

Booya.

"A Goddess? A Goddess it says!?" A million tongues lapped and flapped in a thousand toothed maws. Eyes seemed to bubble forth from the undulating glory that was his godsflesh. It seemed to scrutinise the little power, to bore through her with its very being.
"You are no such thing! You are slutfood and slatternmeat! You are whorefodder, and I am the engine of your consummation!"

Your imagination breaks my brain, Chronosia... :p
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 12:30
It's a gift :D
The Free Priesthood
05-02-2009, 13:15
I submit a Cosmic Horror for this looseverse. It is the Great and Pitiless Toothed Phallus, defiler of universes, consumer of galaxies, rapist of powers cosmic. It is from he that Gods cower in vain, lest their livers (and other parts)be rapeconsumed. To look upon he is to go mad, and to bask in his presence is to know violation upon ever cell.

Booya.

"A Goddess? A Goddess it says!?" A million tongues lapped and flapped in a thousand toothed maws. Eyes seemed to bubble forth from the undulating glory that was his godsflesh. It seemed to scrutinise the little power, to bore through her with its very being.
"You are no such thing! You are slutfood and slatternmeat! You are whorefodder, and I am the engine of your consummation!"

There definitely is a significant amount of advantage being taken. But whether it's strategic...

But seriously, would you care to explain your point?
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 17:26
My point was earlier. This is now my viewpoint, standpoint and modus operandi. I'm actually considering using this as a cosmic entity. And why shouldn't I? I'll take advantage of this loose notion. :)
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 17:42
No. The only acceptable form of god is the one that doesn't interact in any substantial way with the universe at large, including communicating (excepting, of course, vague dreams and other things that have absolutely no effect on anything whatsoever). Otherwise, you just end up with an unkillable superspy who knows everything.

If there's a consensus between players, there's no problem with a God like you described.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 17:48
If there's consensus between players, there's no problem with a giant omniscient platypus that shits bottles and pisses Mountain Dew whilst throwing winged phalli the size of galaxies at the other guy, all the while chanting praises to Doom Man and his HUGE GUNS.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 18:20
If there's consensus between players, there's no problem with a giant omniscient platypus that shits bottles and pisses Mountain Dew whilst throwing winged phalli the size of galaxies at the other guy, all the while chanting praises to Doom Man and his HUGE GUNS.

And your point in all that was?
Otagia
05-02-2009, 18:24
Surely you don't object to me using this in the next RP you do, right? In fact, I'll find one of your threads now and start the cult of the Supreme Platypus right now if you'd like.
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 18:24
That consensus between players in no way ensures that the RP will be sensible.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 18:27
Surely you don't object to me using this in the next RP you do, right? In fact, I'll find one of your threads now and start the cult of the Supreme Platypus right now if you'd like.

Hey, if other people don't mind it, i've got no problem with it. However, you're going to have trouble inserting it into one of my threads.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 18:29
Probably, I'm not sure it'll be able to swim through the luminous aether near your system without knocking it into a sun. How about one of it's choir of angelic servants, the shitting dicknipples?
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 18:32
Probably, I'm not sure it'll be able to swim through the luminous aether near your system without knocking it into a sun. How about one of it's choir of angelic servants, the shitting dicknipples?

Actually, I meant because i'm not running any at the moment.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 18:36
Do not worry my child, the Galactic Monotreme is patient.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 18:45
Do not worry my child, the Galactic Monotreme is patient.

And for the record, I said "consensus between players" - which means all players agree the said entity is relevant to the thread and should be allowed to continue doing whatever it was doing.

I did not say "bring in something completely random and piss everyone off by being an ass with it" - which you seem to want to do with this, rather than be civil about it and RP sensibly.

Oh, and regarding what I said first;

A.) The chances of me actually doing a thread of my own in the next 6 months are highly unlikely. That's all i'm willing to say on that matter.

B.) Even if I did, the chances of it being relevant to a Bottle-Shitting, Mountain Dew pissing, Winged-Phalli Throwing Intergalactic Platypus and it's assorted Cults are about as slim as they get. If you want to start a thread about that sort of stuff, please be my guest.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 18:55
I did not say "bring in something completely random and piss everyone off by being an ass with it" - which you seem to want to do with this, rather than be civil about it and RP sensibly.
Considering that's about what the OP has done on several occasions, I'd say it's quite reasonable to discuss here.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 19:00
Considering that's about what the OP has done on several occasions, I'd say it's quite reasonable to discuss here.

I'm only reffering to what I have experienced. Besides, even if that's true, there's no reason you can't be civil about it.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 19:03
What's uncivil about the Galactic Monotreme and its holy Reverse Coprophagic Areolaphalli? They're quite polite, although I wouldn't drink anything they gave me.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 19:05
If there's consensus between players, there's no problem with a giant omniscient platypus that shits bottles and pisses Mountain Dew whilst throwing winged phalli the size of galaxies at the other guy, all the while chanting praises to Doom Man and his HUGE GUNS.

That's not what i'd have called "Being Civil", considering what it was an answer to. There's exaggeration, but that's something else.
Tenuria
05-02-2009, 19:07
*is now strongly considering turning Laishk into a planet that devours other planets, sort of like a combination of Galactus and the Mortal Engines series*

I mean, that's a lot more reasonable than the Supreme Platypus. No offense or anything. :P
Vescopa
05-02-2009, 19:12
That's not what i'd have called "Being Civil", considering what it was an answer to. There's exaggeration, but that's something else.

I think his point was that simply using a consensus as a guide to what is generally acceptable or not doesn't always make for good RP. Just because an entire thread of people accept rampant godmoding, that doesn't make it alright.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 19:16
That's not what i'd have called "Being Civil", considering what it was an answer to. There's exaggeration, but that's something else.
I merely chose something of roughly equal rediculousness as the idea of an all knowing universe destroying god. Although really, having the Invisible Pink Unicorn sit down and have a chat with Eris would be fun too.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 19:19
I think his point was that simply using a consensus as a guide to what is generally acceptable or not doesn't always make for good RP. Just because an entire thread of people accept rampant godmoding, that doesn't make it alright.

I stand by what I say - Otagia could have put it like that, rather than the way he did, which he's now trying to continue by making posts that aren't as funny as he might want them to be.

Hmm, about as ridiculous as having an Earth far bigger than it could ever be to accomadate countries of over 11 Billion people?
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 19:22
I think he's funny :)
Otagia
05-02-2009, 19:28
Hmm, about as ridiculous as having an Earth far bigger than it could ever be to accomadate countries of over 11 Billion people?
I like to think of it as a six dimensional spindle. That or an inordinately thick Dyson sphere made of rock built around one half of a binary star. The former explains why the horizon would remain the same, while the latter is a bit easier to wrap one's head around, and provides tectonics to boot (the interior sun should heat the inner surface enough to form magma).

That or we're on Discworld. Now excuse me, I'm going to go mining for lard.
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 19:30
Yay, Uberwald.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 19:30
I like to think of it as a six dimensional spindle. That or an inordinately thick Dyson sphere made of rock built around one half of a binary star. The former explains why the horizon would remain the same, while the latter is a bit easier to wrap one's head around, and provides tectonics to boot (the interior sun should heat the inner surface enough to form magma).

Well, if that's what you think, fine. Your opinion is your opinion, and i'm not going to say you're right or wrong.
Tenuria
05-02-2009, 19:34
Hmm, about as ridiculous as having an Earth far bigger than it could ever be to accomadate countries of over 11 Billion people?

The obvious solution is that, in the NSVerse, people are only a few centimetres high.

This also explains why so many people claim to have mountains much larger than Everest, rivers bigger than the Amazon and islands many times the size of Australia. It also explains why eight billion people can fit on, say, Christmas Island without extensive overcrowding. Their measurements of feet and meters have been adjusted as well, which explains why the average height of citizens, soldiers, and national leaders seems to be well over 190 cm.

EDIT: It doesn't explain why people don't get eaten by rats, trampled by badgers, and utterly annihilated by the average colony of grasshoppers. Maybe the mini-humans built rocket launchers to blow them all up. Anyway, nobody RPs that kind of stuff.
Otagia
05-02-2009, 19:47
Well, if that's what you think, fine. Your opinion is your opinion, and i'm not going to say you're right or wrong.
Nah, what I think doesn't mean jack crap in this case. The logical argument disregards the actual size and shape of the planet and its inhabitants, and states that such geography is required for the roleplay to take place, and thus is acceptable to handwave away. Omnipotent, omniscient gods, giant platypi, flying battleships and spaceships with physics-defying flight decks (along with virtually everything else) isn't required to successfully tell a story, and thus should be subjected to scrutiny.

At least, that's the logical argument. However, as a worshiper of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, the Galactic Monotreme, and Eris (HAIL DISCORDIA!), logic has been deemed fit for lesser beings. Tea?


EDIT: It doesn't explain why people don't get eaten by rats, trampled by badgers, and utterly annihilated by the average colony of grasshoppers. Maybe the mini-humans built rocket launchers to blow them all up. Anyway, nobody RPs that kind of stuff.
Obviously, the Event that shrunk humanity must have got the rats, badgers, grasshoppers, and vegetation as well! My only fear is that someday, someone with develop a cure, and the world will immediately implode under the new gravitational stress.
Ustio North
05-02-2009, 19:54
Nah, what I think doesn't mean jack crap in this case. The logical argument disregards the actual size and shape of the planet and its inhabitants, and states that such geography is required for the roleplay to take place, and thus is acceptable to handwave away. Omnipotent, omniscient gods, giant platypi, flying battleships and spaceships with physics-defying flight decks (along with virtually everything else)isn't required to successfully tell a story, and thus should be subjected to scrutiny.

At least, that's the logical argument. However, as a worshiper of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, the Galactic Monotreme, and Eris (HAIL DISCORDIA!), logic has been deemed fit for lesser beings. Tea?


I thought I said I was working on that. However, if you consider that the Earth in NS is just that - the Earth - FT logic is probably much more realistic.

Two sugars.
Chronosia
05-02-2009, 21:06
It's an Earth, certainly. As with the false Terra in the beginning of Horus Rising, the position and nature of what constitutes "Planet Earth" is often a matter of opinion :P
The Free Priesthood
06-02-2009, 11:23
I did not say "bring in something completely random and piss everyone off by being an ass with it" - which you seem to want to do with this, rather than be civil about it and RP sensibly.

Considering that's about what the OP has done on several occasions, I'd say it's quite reasonable to discuss here.

Your pants are on fire.

I've brought a god into a thread only once, not several times. And then I wasn't the one being an ass about it, it wasn't random because there already was another god in that thread, and I brought it in for the purpose of an interesting conversation, not to godmod.
The Free Priesthood
06-02-2009, 11:29
I merely chose something of roughly equal rediculousness as the idea of an all knowing universe destroying god. Although really, having the Invisible Pink Unicorn sit down and have a chat with Eris would be fun too.

... and your pants are still on fire. Destroying the universe being a requirement to kill something (with good reasons why that is so) is not the same thing as that something being capable of destroying the universe.

An analogy: if a building is so huge that it requires an A-bomb to destroy it, that doesn't make the building an A-bomb itself.
Chronosia
06-02-2009, 12:16
Except that the "good reason" is yours alone, and you don't speak for the NSverse. That's where people have a problem. You have no say in what your "goddess" does to the collective, open, universe.

I hardly see everyone rushing to defend your notion that if your goddess dies then our universe goes kaput. Why? Because you say so? Not gonna fly. See our logic? You don't get to deal in exact metaphysical catastrophe rules for a universe you don't own. TFP's your playground, you can imagine and invent whatever you like, but when that infringes on everyone else? It's godmodding, and it's a no-go.
The Free Priesthood
06-02-2009, 12:56
OK, so imagine the ideas behind my FTL and yours are incompatible in some random way, which makes it impossible for them to exist in the same universe. I use mine in a thread where you already used yours. Is that godmodding, too?

The funniest thing is that the whole trouble started because the thread-starter (I forgot who it was) claimed to have the ability to destroy that goddess without having a clue what kind of being she was. Now THAT is godmodding.

Anyway, this thread here is about what I will allow in threads I create, and my "rules" are about decent behavior rather than being strict about, well, rules. If something you bring to a thread can sensibly be used for something else than godmodding, and you're not using it for actual godmodding (like blowing everyone else up, or using it as a superspy or something), then I consider it acceptable, even if it could potentially be used to godmod.

If you don't like my style, then don't join my threads! There's no need for anyone to be a jerk about their not-joining.
Vescopa
06-02-2009, 14:23
OK, so imagine the ideas behind my FTL and yours are incompatible in some random way, which makes it impossible for them to exist in the same universe. I use mine in a thread where you already used yours. Is that godmodding, too?

All FTL is impossible, so it's a moot point. Besides which I don't think any players here claim that their FTL systems will destroy the entire universe if something goes wrong.

Simply not taking part in your thread doesn't particularly help us avoid the entire universe being destroyed; rather, we all have to ignore you completely to be spared such a fate. I wouldn't want to do that, as you seem like a nice guy/gal with some good ideas, and I doubt you would want to be ignored en-mass, but if it's a choice between ignoring you and having the entire universe destroyed... well, there's no choice.
The Free Priesthood
06-02-2009, 16:00
All FTL is impossible, so it's a moot point. Besides which I don't think any players here claim that their FTL systems will destroy the entire universe if something goes wrong.

Simply not taking part in your thread doesn't particularly help us avoid the entire universe being destroyed; rather, we all have to ignore you completely to be spared such a fate. I wouldn't want to do that, as you seem like a nice guy/gal with some good ideas, and I doubt you would want to be ignored en-mass, but if it's a choice between ignoring you and having the entire universe destroyed... well, there's no choice.

See the post about the difference between a bomb and a big building. I do not claim to be able to destroy the universe.
A Utopian Soviet Union
06-02-2009, 17:41
Aha, I recognise this scenario. I believe I was one of the participants in the thread whereby you introduced your goddess which was intwined in the fabric of the universe and so her going "kaput" wold also result in the universe going "kaput".

I also remembered that I argued against you whilst proposing we simply ignore it and move on to continue with the story without the debating provided you did not "god mod".

I read through your proposed guidelines and summarised that they are centered around you being able to introduce "godmodding" like characters into a scenario. Since you say that these rules apply only in your threads I presume this is mostly reasonable to a degree but still violates the main rule of "No-Godmodding" endorsed by most.

Since you do however pay particular attention to actions or effects which can be explained accuratly through a good sense of logical explanation or reason then would you be so kind as to lay down your logical explanation as to why you think that immortal indestructible (for sake of convienience, there might be some magic incarnation that can destroy them) characters should be permitted beyond mere talking observing beings who are limited in their actions?
The Free Priesthood
06-02-2009, 19:02
What I created was, mostly, a "mere talking observing being that was limited in its actions".

It is entirely reasonable to allow a few extra abilities beyond observing and talking as long as the equivalent effect of those can be achieved using some type of thing that within a FT scenario nobody would consider godmodding.

For example the "impossible" action of a human character continuing to walk around for a while after having been shot in the legs might also be achieved using painkillers, damage repairing nanobots, armor, or who knows what other options instead of his god taking over his mind. In this situation armor is much more useful than a god, and a god is slightly better than painkillers because you can run out of the latter. You're probably dead before that happens, though.
A Utopian Soviet Union
06-02-2009, 19:55
I have no problem with the god possessing person thing untill their body can no longer physically support itself. As for limited actions, it depends on what kind of actions are considered acceptable and to whom they are acceptable.

I for one follow the eye for an eye approach to super natural beings, not in the sense that if a god blows something up you get to blow something up that's of equal value but rather in approach to a races opinions. Allow me to elaborate...

Gods are dependant upon the "belief" of another race, so in a sense their abilities are invested to them by the race which worships, believes, fears them; so in my point of view a god is a creation of it's race.

Now take a race which does not believe in any gods or invests powers in a higher entity, because of this gods cannot have any effect on them or the said aliens creations since they simply "don't believe", the god doesn't draw it's power from them and so is powerless to do anything against them; likewise the aliens are powerless to do anything to the gods since they regard them either has hallucinations or appariations. Yes they can converse with them and see them but they cannot effect each other.

On the other hand, if you have a god and come across another race with a god then I see no reason why the two cannot match the other in a show of strength, assuming the othe to be all powerful BUT not fully exhibiting said power in order to make the RPG fun.
The Free Priesthood
06-02-2009, 22:23
Thank you, that makes perfect sense.
Central Facehuggeria
06-02-2009, 23:32
... and your pants are still on fire. Destroying the universe being a requirement to kill something (with good reasons why that is so) is not the same thing as that something being capable of destroying the universe.

Well, it is if that something can self-terminate.

Besides, there's something inherently godmody about declaring that you can destroy the universe through any means (even if it means getting one of your characters killed.)

It's the whole Sol-system except on a grander scale. I have the ability to blow up stars (ubertech, hey!), but Sol is the exception, because I'd be calling damage for everyone who lives in FT Sol, and hence godmoding. Which would get me mass ignored.

Or to make it more relevant: Let's say I have land in Sol (which I do.) Now let's say I have some super-shield so powerful that only blowing up the Sun can bring it down. No other weapon will work.

My enemy now has a dilemma. He can either blow up the Sun and get mass ignored for the above reasons, or he can ignore my land, thus preventing him from ever actually winning the war. Which obviously isn't fair from an OOC standpoint or in the spirit of RP.

^Now while militarily it might make sense to claim shit like that, good RPers (and I like to think I'm a passable one, if quite lazy) aren't out to win. They're out to make a neat story. Having any sort of invincible being which, even if it's destroyed, will take the universe with it, isn't conductive to a cooperative RP.

Edit: TL;DR: Invulnerable beings are poor RP etiquitte.
Kanuckistan
06-02-2009, 23:39
Heh, my nation actually has a god, who is, by popular demand and against his better judgment, the head of state. He also used to be the prime minister befor his gradual ascension, and is a staunch believer in democracy and self-determination.

He's also agnostic(!), doesn't consider himself a god, and generally thinks those who do(ie, almost everyone) are crazy. Yes, my god is, in fact, in denial. :D

Functionally, he's just an occasional 'voice of reason' in a government that is effectively a direct democracy, and facilitates the whole afterlife thing.

He also doesn't show up in RP's - he used to, but that was befor he ascended, and was perfectly mortal.

It was during a peace conference in a war RP. The conference was arranged by a third RPer who insisted OOCly I send this particular character. I originally planned to send a lower level wonk to the conference and would have if the third RPer hadn't insisted I send my central character.

Plus, the people in that RP knew the etiquette of clearing with other players before killing central characters. That's why I went ape shit.


Sounds like an OOC conspiracy. Maybe.

But the disagreement here is that very etiquette - sure, it's nice to ask, but they really shouldn't have to, unless you specifically make it known that you want the character to survive. Personally, I don't think that way - the risk that an important character may be injured/killed both forces them to act more realistically(ie, no "I'm going to call your bluff/fly my starfighter against your ubermegadeathfleet because I'm the main character and thus cannot die"), and adds a measure of tension and unpredictability, and even unexpected moral choices as they have to decide if they should continue the fight/take the risk, or retreat and save themselves.

Also, I wouldn't personally consider a peace conference in a war RP to exactly be a safe event, either, especially as one side might take the opportunity to gain an advantage in continuing the war or force terms that favour them more. Or just vent anger and loss and do something stupid - maybe your forces killed the family of his representative's bodyguard and the man's been concealing his pain for one last chance at revenge? Etc.

Not saying anything like that happened, just that it wasn't a 'safe' location, unless it had been OOCly agreed upon as being such, then you can protest violation of OOC terms. Conversely, if it's agreed upon that some character will survive and he does something stupid, you can again protest(which is why you probably shouldn't make blanket agreements).



Tho if all else fails, you can always resort to a good ol' Schrödinger Decoy - cheap, but if you can't live without the character, it lets you salvage the RP. Alternativly, start blurring the line between your main characters and their decoys(OMG realism and depth! Important people iRL have decoys) - maybe he couldn't be there in person because it was his daughter's birthday? Maybe the decoy was a close, trusted friend.

Personally, I'd just use a teleoperated avatar. That's what my diplomatic corps do.
Otagia
06-02-2009, 23:58
For example the "impossible" action of a human character continuing to walk around for a while after having been shot in the legs might also be achieved using painkillers, damage repairing nanobots, armor, or who knows what other options instead of his god taking over his mind. In this situation armor is much more useful than a god, and a god is slightly better than painkillers because you can run out of the latter. You're probably dead before that happens, though.

Except that you can get rid of drugs, armor, nanobots, etc. any number of ways. EMP, counter-agents, selectively teleporting their clothing, there's options for getting rid of all of the above. With your god, you can't.

I've brought a god into a thread only once, not several times. And then I wasn't the one being an ass about it, it wasn't random because there already was another god in that thread, and I brought it in for the purpose of an interesting conversation, not to godmod.
While my counting skills may be somewhat off, the following quote doesn't really sound like "not being an ass," especially given it's your first post in the OOC thread to someone pointing out your godmode.


In other words, STFU.
Neo-Mekanta
07-02-2009, 03:44
Your pants are on fire.

I've brought a god into a thread only once, not several times. And then I wasn't the one being an ass about it, it wasn't random because there already was another god in that thread, and I brought it in for the purpose of an interesting conversation, not to godmod.

The funniest thing is that the whole trouble started because the thread-starter (I forgot who it was) claimed to have the ability to destroy that goddess without having a clue what kind of being she was. Now THAT is godmodding.

LOL WUT?

I was reading the thread to see how Chronosia's phallic entity went, and I saw this little number.

Allow me to refresh your memory, TFP. You entered a thread with two warships that were stated to have a history of KILLING GODS, and a superweapon powerful enough to be worshipped as a god. (Actual divinity not included.) You said your little wankbeast was a GOD. (Fine, goddess, whatever.) That's like bringing in a ship and then claiming "THINGS THAT KILL SHIPS DON'T APPLY TO IT" when someone fires on it. No other information was given. Shall I pull out an example from that OOC thread?

Imagine, if you will, someone having a huge fleet of high end battleships in a system. Interaction is going well, and everyone bringing in things smaller than said fleet know if they piss off said battleships, they're going to lay down a curtain of fire that will rip them to shreds. That's just common bloody sense. Now imagine someone brings in a space-borne ice cream truck that begins shooting off bright, flashy fireworks at the flagship of said fleet. The fleet responds as the fleet would, only to have the player of that truck say "HUH-UH!! You can't kill the truck the same way you'd kill, say, every other goddamn thing in the universe, if you want to get rid of it you have to stuck your thumb up your ass and make shadow puppets." Then when other players try explaining to the newblood how things work, the player begins behaving like a jackass, accusing everyone present of being nazis.


What really started everything was not an attempt to kill your little wankbeast, but the Darkship attempting to give your precious bundle of bad writing a cosmic slap upside the head for being an insufferable twat. You pulled out the "IT'S AN EMBODIMENT OF A UNIVERSAL CONSTANT YOU CANT HURT IT IF YOU KILL IT IT'LL DESTROY THE UNIVERSE LA LA LA LA LA YOU CANT TOUCH ME" bullshit when I warned you not to start shit with the Mekantans with that goddess, started behaving like a prick in the OOC thread, (telling people to shut the fuck up when they're being civil. Nice, very nice.) and pulling the oppressed newbie card.


Given how good your opening posts were, I was actually looking forward to interaction. But then your true colors emerged and I lost all respect for you. Given the kind of discussion, seems I'm not alone. Could things have gone smoother? Yeah, both sides could have talked it over. But it's your actions in the OOC thread and your refusal to follow OOC warnings about how things would transpire and godmode your way through avoiding any IC retaliation for IC actions that caused everything.

Say what you will about the Darkships, but for all their omnipotence, they can be killed, they've been defeated by FAR inferior forces, and there are no claims about destroying the universe if one gets smacked down. You are, and probably will be for a long time, the clueless newbie, because you refuse to learn how shit works. You might be a decent enough writer, but you're a terrible RPer.



Sorry if this kind of rambles. I'm feeling a bit under the weather. But this? Yeah, this warrants an answer.
Central Facehuggeria
07-02-2009, 06:28
they've been defeated by FAR inferior forces,

Is there a link to this? I'd like to see how. I'm curious. I want to see just how Mekanta writes the death of a darkship, and I don't want to fight with you yet to try and find out. :p
Neo-Mekanta
07-02-2009, 07:10
Defeated. Not destroyed yet.

In my first contact thread with CM, the Darkship would have been driven off either by his forces, or by another Darkship whose commander was more concerned about causing a rival defeat than conquest for the Hegemony.

Since the thread died, I've been working off of the first option to give the commander incentive to return during CM's anarchy thread.

The Displaced thread is also going to lead to Operation Darkfall, which WILL be the destruction of one of the Darkships to try to halt the omnicidal ambitions of the Hegemony.
Solar Communes
07-02-2009, 07:38
Defeated. Not destroyed yet.

This is so ambiguous I don't have anything to say about, only that I would totally ignore you if you were actually using Darkships for the sake of competitive RPs to "LOL I WIN N00B", but as I you aren't, I don't.

On the other hand, Solar Communes spacecraft passive armor are very fragile because they don't rely on Tiberium crystals mined from Uranus for forcefields and LOL Einstein Grave-rolling technobabble, but instead on avoiding being hit as I try to prevent depicting space combat as ironclads battles out of George Lucas' oldening mind.

But again, space opera is totally senile to modern innovation or to any resemblance of believability, as while for example all modern tanks have active protection systems... they still rely on the same old bull of having uber-shields and engaging each other like ironclads or ships-of-the-line.

Regardless, back to this thread subject. I don't see any point to face a goddess or whatever. I RP a bunch of skeptics who would probably ignore gods as much as I ignore blatant godmodding.

In MT, things are much less forgiving... the last time someone RPed a god in it was like this (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13274613&postcount=76). It doesn't matter if it isn't a clear attempt wanking victory past an inevitable defeat, because there is a reason why the word godmodding has "god" in it*. In fact, I disagree as much with yours as I do with Mekanta approach regarding FT, but as I can count on the fingers of one hand those who RP realistic future technology in NS or who try to be reasonable, I have made concessions from my initial, totally Hard Science iteration with which I hoped to join start a RP inspired by Forever War rather than just a story that eventually died down.

*And most important of all. I still believe(or want to believe) your sending of that character was a sort of reaction to the overall wanktacular theme from that thread, which was like due to an assumption that Neo-Mekanta darkships are completely undefeatable, and thus "if they can have that, I can send a goddess, period." It would have been preferable for you to have ignored the thread instead if that was your point of view about it.
The Free Priesthood
07-02-2009, 10:15
Except that you can get rid of drugs, armor, nanobots, etc. any number of ways. EMP, counter-agents, selectively teleporting their clothing, there's options for getting rid of all of the above. With your god, you can't.

You can't get rid of armor that has been fused to the body either (I have seen that being used). Well, you can, but that's a really gory way of killing a character after which there is no need to kill it again.

While my counting skills may be somewhat off, the following quote doesn't really sound like "not being an ass," especially given it's your first post in the OOC thread to someone pointing out your godmode.

OK so I should have told that person to go read the existing discussion first instead of restarting it from scratch. Sorry for assuming they actually *did* read what was impossible to miss.
The Free Priesthood
07-02-2009, 10:36
*And most important of all. I still believe(or want to believe) your sending of that character was a sort of reaction to the overall wanktacular theme from that thread, which was like due to an assumption that Neo-Mekanta darkships are completely undefeatable, and thus "if they can have that, I can send a goddess, period." It would have been preferable for you to have ignored the thread instead if that was your point of view about it.

There is some truth to that. I had already been thinking about introducing the gods worshiped by my characters as characters themselves, but it's just not nice to bring things like those into "normal" threads. OTOH trying them out in an own thread would probably just be an invitation for wankers who didn't think things through and just want to blow stuff up instead of bringing some interesting ideas into the story.

Then there was Neo Mekanta's thread, which was well written and contained things MUCH more powerful than the type of gods I had thought up. That seemed like a godsend (sorry, bad pun).

You can imagine I was quite surprised (not to mention pissed off) that while everyone else had things with much more potential to destroy and/or annoy, I was accused of godmodding.
Nova Bazalonia
07-02-2009, 12:18
I don't RP much with this FT nation but speaking of gods, I've got one... well three individuals but they act as one....

Basically all the tech is based around a power source known as 'Sunstones'. If anyone's seen the Dinotopia movie. It's sorta based on that.

The gods don't act through people as such, but through the sunstones manipulating things to get people where they want them when they want them. They don't have Avatars in any sense of the word but they can use normal beings to do amazing things, just by getting the right people, with the right equipment.

Even though as NB I wasn't involved here I was as TGM: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=543968 - Though to be honest the appearance of World Haven/Hate Haven made the though thing into a joke anyway.
A Utopian Soviet Union
07-02-2009, 12:51
Perhaps the most obvious way to find out how you can merge your ideas and find out the limits with other RPers is to simply start your own thread Preisthood introducing your characters, a story, meeting people ect. If you like i'm happy to go on with it with you, aside from the fact that my race is athesist and therefore immune i'm mostly flexible and happy to let things slide or negotiate provided it contributes to a good story.

Give it a think, but actually putting it into practice is better than nibbiling ceaselessly in this thread.
Chronosia
07-02-2009, 14:50
Perhaps the most obvious way to find out how you can merge your ideas and find out the limits with other RPers is to simply start your own thread Preisthood introducing your characters, a story, meeting people ect. If you like i'm happy to go on with it with you, aside from the fact that my race is athesist and therefore immune i'm mostly flexible and happy to let things slide or negotiate provided it contributes to a good story.

Give it a think, but actually putting it into practice is better than nibbiling ceaselessly in this thread.

A true sign that the Great Toothed One has invested himself in this thread.

As for built in armor, much more fun to remove that slowly and precisely, milking their pain that the Dark Prince will sup upon! Such is the way and the glory of Slaanesh :D
A Utopian Soviet Union
07-02-2009, 15:03
A true sign that the Great Toothed One has invested himself in this thread.

You cannot say that! Else doom will visit itself upon us! Hmm... i'm getting Monty Python flashbacks...

"You see doc, my legs sorta... gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes gone."
"What could have made off with that?"
"A tiger?"
"A tiger? In Africa!"
"It must of escaped from a zoo..."
The Free Priesthood
07-02-2009, 15:28
Perhaps the most obvious way to find out how you can merge your ideas and find out the limits with other RPers is to simply start your own thread Preisthood introducing your characters, a story, meeting people ect. If you like i'm happy to go on with it with you, aside from the fact that my race is athesist and therefore immune i'm mostly flexible and happy to let things slide or negotiate provided it contributes to a good story.

Give it a think, but actually putting it into practice is better than nibbiling ceaselessly in this thread.

I will need to write a good explanation of what TFP gods are and why they can do some things and not others (and why they won't do many of the things they can) first, but there is going to be such a thread. Also I will need to think of a "very bad case" scenario, since it doesn't fit the god characters to show up and talk when there's no disaster happening.
Imperial isa
07-02-2009, 15:41
the old Evil Vs Good thing a oldie but a goodie
Chronosia
07-02-2009, 15:55
I will need to write a good explanation of what TFP gods are and why they can do some things and not others (and why they won't do many of the things they can) first, but there is going to be such a thread. Also I will need to think of a "very bad case" scenario, since it doesn't fit the god characters to show up and talk when there's no disaster happening.

Take it you'll untie them from the laws of physics then? Or! Alternately, since insularism is your thing, if it dies then your territory could implode. It all goes back to that whole "belief begets divinities" thing, rather than the other way around. Like how the Gods of Chaos are embodiments of powerful psychic emotional constants experienced by all sentients, which allowed them to form in the Warp over millennia. Lovely concept, especially since now they just affect the universe through blessings and gifts, or servants daemonic and mortal. Point being, no one else believes in your divinity, which would lessen or negate its power over them.

I serve and I am rewarded and my Gods never even tread the Materium, and it works out wonderfully. Gods I love 40k.
Imperial isa
07-02-2009, 16:20
Gods I love 40k.

yes you do
Chronosia
07-02-2009, 16:57
As though that's a bad thing. I'm good at what I do ^^
The Free Priesthood
07-02-2009, 17:55
Take it you'll untie them from the laws of physics then?

Nope, that tie is the whole point of some of them - and one of the reasons they're completely useless for winning a conflict. As a silly example, asking gravity to stop pulling you down to the planet isn't going to make you float, doesn't matter whether you perceive it as something with a personality or as a soulless law of physics. Also, someone elses invisible friend couldn't possibly interact with you in a human-like way unless you choose to acknowledge that being (and make it your "invisible friend" too).

Of course gravity isn't very suitable to be seen as a god by the Free Priests, because it lacks the randomness needed to be perceived as having free will.

Or! Alternately, since insularism is your thing, if it dies then your territory could implode.

I'm afraid I don't understand this comment. Fir!n is a somewhat remote planet, so when a god dies that would make the Fir!n solar system implode? I'm probably reading it the wrong way.
Kanuckistan
08-02-2009, 00:00
If you like i'm happy to go on with it with you, aside from the fact that my race is athesist and therefore immune i'm mostly flexible and happy to let things slide or negotiate provided it contributes to a good story.


Only way that'd work, outside specific kinds of belief-dependent gods, is if it's more an active belief in the non-existence of gods which manifests in a protective manner not unlike a belief-generated god - ie, what they believe has an active impact on reality. Or you have some other mechanic.

A difference in philosophical outlook isn't going to protect you from bullets, or anything else, so it really doesn't make sense that it would protect you from a god. And saying it would is, in a perverse sort of way, tantamount to a godmod, as you're effectively dictating to the other player how their creations work.



Nope, that tie is the whole point of some of them - and one of the reasons they're completely useless for winning a conflict. As a silly example, asking gravity to stop pulling you down to the planet isn't going to make you float, doesn't matter whether you perceive it as something with a personality or as a soulless law of physics. Also, someone elses invisible friend couldn't possibly interact with you in a human-like way unless you choose to acknowledge that being (and make it your "invisible friend" too).

Of course gravity isn't very suitable to be seen as a god by the Free Priests, because it lacks the randomness needed to be perceived as having free will.



So make them entities whose domain is gravity, or whatever. They have power over it, but it doesn't depend on them - or maybe it does, but only in areas where there's lots of faith being thrown around to give them sway over it.

Of course, I also find myself wondering what would happen if someone locally altered the laws of physics. Then you have funky views, like my own, where there are multiple overlapping reality rulesets, addressing why some people have tech that's physically impossible to others, and opening the door to bazaar thing like Contextual Mechanics and ASPEW fields.
A Utopian Soviet Union
08-02-2009, 00:48
[QUOTE=Kanuckistan;14489241]Only way that'd work, outside specific kinds of belief-dependent gods, is if it's more an active belief in the non-existence of gods which manifests in a protective manner not unlike a belief-generated god - ie, what they believe has an active impact on reality. Or you have some other mechanic.

A difference in philosophical outlook isn't going to protect you from bullets, or anything else, so it really doesn't make sense that it would protect you from a god. And saying it would is, in a perverse sort of way, tantamount to a godmod, as you're effectively dictating to the other player how their creations work.
QUOTE]

*Ponders*

Yes I see where you're coming from, again however that particular outlook is based on the assumption that gods derive their power from beliefs and faith; after all, would a god still exist if it had no one to believe in it?

But yes you are right, it's hippocritical in a distorted manner. But I feel that when you come into a situation where people have gods and are essentially doing impossible things using an outlook such as mine is an attempt to meet such players halfway on the playing field. Allowing interaction but not completely deriding or ignoring the god itself.

Either way, if theres no god involved then it doesn't matter. If there is a god however then it's technically god modding and thus the rules are already being bent, i'd say it's permissable to bend along with it to keep it fair.
Vojvodina-Nihon
08-02-2009, 02:07
The Vojvodina-Nihonians worship a god called Handwavium the Unspeakable. Handwavium the Unspeakable is the anthropomorphic personification of all that violates the laws of physics in the universe -- FTL travel, room temperature superconductors, weapons that fire black holes, cloaked starships, anything that explodes with more than 100% of its matter converted to energy. Destroy Handwavium the Unspeakable or fail to add "the Unspeakable" after His proper name, and the universe will snap back to its real-life state and it will take millennia for people to reach their closest allies in specially-built worldships, while they will be easily detectable on sensors for millions of miles, unable to detect enemy forces until hours after they have moved on from their former position, and only fight battles at short ranges with guided missiles and energy weapons (where your goal will have to be to move out of the way of where you project your enemy was going to be shooting five minutes ago -- tenses will get confusing with lightspeed delay -- because you won't have any shields. Those violate the laws of physics, too). All your Star Wars, your Warhammer 40K, your Star Trek -- down the drain. Do you really want that?!


Actually it would be kind of cool. But that's going off topic.
Otagia
08-02-2009, 04:19
The Solar Communes would pwn us all.
Kanuckistan
08-02-2009, 04:25
after all, would a god still exist if it had no one to believe in it?

Only specific, faith-spawned gods for the most part would fall without people to believe in it. Not all gods depend on, or are even empowered by, their followers.

Certainly any creator-god can't be dependent on faith(well, it could, but meh; we're getting into IDIC there). In fact, iirc, Gods needing faith is a fairly recent concept - traditionally, you worship to gain their favour, and to keep them from fraking your stuff up. :p



But yes you are right, it's hippocritical in a distorted manner. But I feel that when you come into a situation where people have gods and are essentially doing impossible things using an outlook such as mine is an attempt to meet such players halfway on the playing field. Allowing interaction but not completely deriding or ignoring the god itself.


Not all attempts are good attempts; I can apreciate your intent, but your aproach is, well, bad. No offence.




Either way, if theres no god involved then it doesn't matter. If there is a god however then it's technically god modding and thus the rules are already being bent, i'd say it's permissable to bend along with it to keep it fair.

Depends entirely on implementation - even gods can be used without godmodding, if you're smart and careful about it(generally, leave their nature, motives, and capabilities limited or simply unknown - ancient pacts amoungst the 'greater powers' work well here; ie, your god has the power to tell you my secrets, or smite my armies, but that'd Break The Rules, so it can't/won't - or maybe it honestly doesn't really care about you? etc., etc).

Then you get stuff like the use of divinely-granted powers and magic, which might be used in place of traditional tech. Are you invincible if someone decided to equip their troops with Rods of Holy Fire instead of blaster rifles?

Or is energy, energy?

:wink:
Solar Communes
08-02-2009, 05:39
The Solar Communes would pwn us all.

Should you really like to start a war RP with me, then just find a pretext for MT Otagia to invade Third Spanish States and we're all set for discussing it.

Or you could make a Hard Science version of Otagia 1,000 light-years away from Gliese 581 for a Thousand-year War
The Free Priesthood
08-02-2009, 10:43
So make them entities whose domain is gravity, or whatever. They have power over it, but it doesn't depend on them - or maybe it does, but only in areas where there's lots of faith being thrown around to give them sway over it.

The trick I prefer is that while a god is equivalent to a fundamental principle of the universe, whether or not it appears as a being to a mortal is a matter of subjective perception. Some think gravity pulls, others think it pushes, and some odd people thinks it does one of those using its hands.

From an atheist perspective, a god is nothing more than a trick to use the parts of the brain meant for understanding social things for different purposes, which when done right improves the intelligence and self-control of a believer.

Then how can such a god say the same thing to multiple beings at once? We can ask a similar question about how telepathy is supposed to be possible, and use the answer to that as explanation for the first.

Is telepathy using something called psi? Sometimes (in fiction, anyway), but not necessarily. People that do not have any special abilities do also experience "telepathy", but usually only when they're already communicating with each other in some other way. It's a result of identical information being presented to similar minds at the same moment - or, if that is your view of reality, only natural because everything else also is a collective hallucination.

A funny thing about collective self-deception is that it's hard to escape. When everyone else in a group says 7 x 8 = 58, people get very confused. Unless they don't even bother to try to do the math, then they will agree right away.
The Ctan
08-02-2009, 15:01
Depending on how it's done, I've nothing against indestructible characters¹; it can be rather unpleasant not to be able to die; think Adam Monroe/Kensei from 'Heroes.' I have a question for TFP; if say, I happened to have a nation that was out to get your goddess (let's say, a fanatical creed that despises all disorder and seeks to eradicate sources of chaos) would it be possible to confine this entity, and make her a prisoner for experimentation purpouses? Or can she teleport around and similar things?


¹ I am after all, an enormous wanker myself.
The Free Priesthood
08-02-2009, 17:23
I have a question for TFP; if say, I happened to have a nation that was out to get your goddess (let's say, a fanatical creed that despises all disorder and seeks to eradicate sources of chaos) would it be possible to confine this entity, and make her a prisoner for experimentation purpouses?

You can't lock up an idea, however you can lock up all people who know that idea. That's going to keep you busy for a long time, though, since it's likely people in random places are going to have the same idea again and again. It's difficult to stop people from thinking about strife (which doesn't equal chaos btw), and it's difficult to stop people from anthropomorphizing concepts. Someone somewhere does both at the same time, and there she is again...

Or can she teleport around and similar things?

Mu. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(negative))
A Utopian Soviet Union
08-02-2009, 22:47
Only specific, faith-spawned gods for the most part would fall without people to believe in it. Not all gods depend on, or are even empowered by, their followers.

Certainly any creator-god can't be dependent on faith(well, it could, but meh; we're getting into IDIC there). In fact, iirc, Gods needing faith is a fairly recent concept - traditionally, you worship to gain their favour, and to keep them from fraking your stuff up. :p

It depends on what you think a god is I suppose, I for one think gods don't exist untill someone thinks it up, like the Flying Spaghetti monster, can you imagine that flying around before time? Or spaghettie for that matter... :p

I suppose it depends on your attitude, beliefs, ideas ect ect. I'm practically atheist so I suppose i'd see gods in this context as beings brought into creation by those who need them... I suppose this argument is futile if not pointless since we all have differing views :L


Not all attempts are good attempts; I can apreciate your intent, but your aproach is, well, bad. No offence.

None taken ;) Can't see where my attempt is bad but oh well :D What's your approach then?

Depends entirely on implementation - even gods can be used without godmodding,

Agreed,

if you're smart and careful about it(generally, leave their nature, motives, and capabilities limited or simply unknown - ancient pacts amoungst the 'greater powers' work well here; ie, your god has the power to tell you my secrets, or smite my armies, but that'd Break The Rules, so it can't/won't - or maybe it honestly doesn't really care about you? etc., etc).

Isn't that an ovely elaborate and complicated way to go about it? It's like trying to conceal and cover up a gods inability to do something (whilst claiming it can do something) during a role play by covering it in a vague and highly abstract sub-mystic-plot line.

Then you get stuff like the use of divinely-granted powers and magic, which might be used in place of traditional tech. Are you invincible if someone decidd to equip their troops with Rods of Holy Fire instead of blaster rifles?[

Or is energy, energy?

:wink:

Again I agree with you there :D
Solar Communes
08-02-2009, 22:50
Then you get stuff like the use of divinely-granted powers and magic, which might be used in place of traditional tech. Are you invincible if someone decidd to equip their troops with Rods of Holy Fire instead of blaster rifles?[

Or is energy, energy?
Just because given wizards can travel in space, it doesn't make the NS where they exist any less Fantasy than something directly taken from D&D. I'm not a fan of mixing the clichés of both genres into a lolcanon, and if I'd rather a clearer distinction. Otherwise then it would be trivial to merge FT and Fantasy in the same truck.
Chronosia
09-02-2009, 00:02
Just because given wizards can travel in space, it doesn't make the NS where they exist any less Fantasy than something directly taken from D&D. I'm not a fan of mixing the clichés of both genres into a lolcanon, and if I'd rather a clearer distinction. Otherwise then it would be trivial to merge FT and Fantasy in the same truck.

What about Spelljammer?
Kanuckistan
13-02-2009, 01:40
The trick I prefer is that while a god is equivalent to a fundamental principle of the universe, whether or not it appears as a being to a mortal is a matter of subjective perception. Some think gravity pulls, others think it pushes, and some odd people thinks it does one of those using its hands.

From an atheist perspective, a god is nothing more than a trick to use the parts of the brain meant for understanding social things for different purposes, which when done right improves the intelligence and self-control of a believer.

<snip>




...So you're saying your gods are in fact the collective delusion of your people, and a manifestation of said people's latent psionic powers?




It depends on what you think a god is I suppose, I for one think gods don't exist untill someone thinks it up, like the Flying Spaghetti monster, can you imagine that flying around before time? Or spaghettie for that matter... :p

I suppose it depends on your attitude, beliefs, ideas ect ect. I'm practically atheist so I suppose i'd see gods in this context as beings brought into creation by those who need them... I suppose this argument is futile if not pointless since we all have differing views :L


Actually, it depends on what the person who created/RP'd it wants it to be. "God" is just a label - an incredibly vague one - attached to an entity; it doesn't necessarily confer or require any special attributes, limitations, or abilities

If my people decided to worship the battleplate Jagged Razor of Methodical Dismemberment as their new god, atheism isn't exactly going to prove much of a defence, or suddenly make it less real. :wink:





None taken ;) Can't see where my attempt is bad but oh well :D What's your approach then?


Defencive fields that selectively alter the laws of physics, such that reality doesn't support the functioning of the supernatural. ASPEW also has several other effects, like FTLi and fundamentally altering the nature of time within it's (shield-hugging) area of effect.

...backed up by the holy wards and blessings(nulled by active ASPEW) of a by-and-large rather religious population, should someone shoot out the ASPEW fields keeping LOLPSYKER from exploding their heads from the next system over.


But prolly not something you could use(and something I have many RL years worth of IC R&D backing up). Something like a passive, faith-based anti-god effect protecting your people might be better. And let's face it, believing there is no god is a matter of faith, especially if you're not willing to entertain any evidence to the contrary. :p




Isn't that an ovely elaborate and complicated way to go about it? It's like trying to conceal and cover up a gods inability to do something (whilst claiming it can do something) during a role play by covering it in a vague and highly abstract sub-mystic-plot line.


That's one way of looking at it. And that in itself can be fun. It also allows you to have fun creating these powerful entities while keeping them in check and not unbalancing, RP-wise, giving you some nice fluff and whatnot, and maybe have them available as plot devices in RPs that call for them.

You can also look at them as nuke-analogs, or super-WMDs, or just MAD-capable superpowers - afterall, both sides had to tip-toe around each other in the Cold War. Maybe draw an analog and have your god's worshippers be like a proxy state. Etc. etc.

All a matter of taste.



Just because given wizards can travel in space, it doesn't make the NS where they exist any less Fantasy than something directly taken from D&D. I'm not a fan of mixing the clichés of both genres into a lolcanon, and if I'd rather a clearer distinction. Otherwise then it would be trivial to merge FT and Fantasy in the same truck.


Labels are just tools to help us organise the world, not define it, confine it - woe is he who allows their imagination to be constrained by such labels.


Besides, soft sci-fi and fantasy already overlap. It's largely just a matter of aesthetics and vernacular - Technobabble and energy beings on the one side, magic and gods on the other. :p
The Free Priesthood
13-02-2009, 10:25
...So you're saying your gods are in fact the collective delusion of your people, and a manifestation of said people's latent psionic powers?

Not any more a delusion than "self" and "free will" are, and not strictly dependent on psi (similarity of beliefs combined with other forms of communication does the trick for making it collective, too), but mostly yes.

Hmm, I guess this means my mortal characters should get very nervous when they walk into some sort of psi inhibiting field, their gods would want to prevent possible consistency problems and ask them to "leave this bad place". There's some potential for interesting RP somewhere in there...
Chronosia
12-03-2009, 01:04
So, if you mind-wiped all your people in a certain area...Say a Dollhouse stylee remote wipe on a massive scale...Would your "gods" cease to exist? Kinda like Adam in the Torchwood episode of the same name ^^
The Free Priesthood
12-03-2009, 11:50
I don't know the things you refer to, so I have to make a guess at what exactly you mean.

The best answer is both yes and no. If you wipe the minds of all people who know a certain concept (or kill them, that should have the same effect and you won't be stuck with all those zombies), the ability to interact with that concept is lost. Concepts themselves however are indestructible, sooner or later someone may reinvent them. In the time between being forgotten and being rediscovered, and idea does not cease to exist, it is only inaccessible.

A more interesting question is whether mind-wiping all believers would also mind-wipe the gods. If there's nobody to store their memories for them...
This depends on whether the existence of the universe is caused by the mind(s) that observe it, or the other way around (the universe observes itself).

Mind before matter means the gods (may?) keep their memories. Matter before mind means they forget. So if you would mind-wipe or otherwise destroy ALL my characters, and I would introduce new characters that believe in the same gods as the old characters, and through those gods know things about the time before they started believing in them, then I would be declaring the universe to be of the mind before matter type, which would, in a way, be godmodding.

However, I think if someone would destroy/wipe all of my characters, I would take my ball and go home, rather than attempting to continue RPing with that person, so it doesn't really matter.
Chronosia
12-03-2009, 19:30
I was thinking more, if it happened in a certain area that would at least remove the presence of your niggling little blasphemies. The Gods of Chaos or the immense glory of the Mawed Member would be delightfully pleased to subvert, undermine and ultimately consume your fickle figment ;)

I really do need to make a nation to worship that genius concept...
Central Facehuggeria
12-03-2009, 23:03
or the immense glory of the Mawed Member would be delightfully pleased to subvert, undermine and ultimately consume your fickle figment ;)

You evil bastard. I expect you to pay for the therapy this time!

*Shudders.*
Chronosia
13-03-2009, 00:31
you evil bastard. I expect you to pay for the therapy this time!

*shudders.*

never! You must suffer in silence as it rapeconsumes your fragile innards! Om nom nom!
Kanuckistan
13-03-2009, 01:48
This depends on whether the existence of the universe is caused by the mind(s) that observe it, or the other way around (the universe observes itself).



Either way those are magical concepts, claiming a subjective universe. In an objective universe, observation is moot.
Veneficus Regnum
13-03-2009, 06:41
Depending on how it's done, I've nothing against indestructible characters¹; it can be rather unpleasant not to be able to die; think Adam Monroe/Kensei from 'Heroes.' I have a question for TFP; if say, I happened to have a nation that was out to get your goddess (let's say, a fanatical creed that despises all disorder and seeks to eradicate sources of chaos) would it be possible to confine this entity, and make her a prisoner for experimentation purpouses? Or can she teleport around and similar things?


¹ I am after all, an enormous wanker myself.

Actually a side nation I created is built around the whole 'it's unpleasant to be immortal'. The back story is that they used to be a bastion of light and science in the galaxy thousands/millions of years ago, until some idiot came up with a way to create true immortality. After about a hundred or so years of living for to long, getting bored with it all - they either got depressed and let their civilization fall apart around them or go crazy and start raping and pillaging everything in sight because of a sick sadistic glee and causing others pain gives them SOME sort of entertainment.
The Free Priesthood
13-03-2009, 11:34
I was thinking more, if it happened in a certain area that would at least remove the presence of your niggling little blasphemies.

If you chose to make your own characters able to interact with the FP gods directly (see them, talk with them), you would have to wipe their minds too.

If your characters aren't in the area, or aren't able to interact with FP gods (because of their minds being too different, or because of an insensitivity to psi, or because of whatever), there isn't much of a point in wanting to disable the gods...
Chronosia
15-03-2009, 18:50
What if said deities were in the presence of a populace who regarded them as powerless false god blasphemies? Would indigenous psi fuck them over?